A collaborative initiative between the Australian government Air Conditioning and the Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers Association of Australia (AREMA) and is making great strides in phasing out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in 12 Pacific Island Countries.

AREMA – along with its members (Daikin and Danfoss) and its partners (A.G. Coombs and the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association of Australia) – has generously donated purpose-built “training pods” equipped with tools and resources for good servicing practices of refrigeration and
air-conditioning systems.

A.G. Coombs is pleased to have contributed to the detailed design and manufacture of these pods in its Integrated Prefabrication Facility in Melbourne and is proud of the important support this project is providing to countries throughout the region in phasing out HCFCs under the Montreal Protocol.

The pods not only facilitate training on good servicing practices but are also being integrated into formal education through the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum in countries with a TVET system for refrigeration and air-conditioning. This approach ensures the sustainable capacity building of technicians in the servicing sector, crucial for phasing out HCFCs and phasing-down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), both controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol, used as refrigerants.